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March 17, 2012

To all my Irish (and non-Irish) friends here, and my Irish friends across the pond in the British Isles, and Ireland - I’m sure you had a good “craic” - and I’m lifting a green pint in your direction! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Cheers!

As gasoline prices hit historic highs in some parts of the country, while the GOP chants “Drill Baby Drill” as they blame Democrats, and Obama, for the spike in prices - the President took to the airwaves today to address the issue. In President Obama’s weekly address, the President reminded both Houses of Congress that the Federal government is sending $4 Billion dollars of taxpayers money, to oil companies, in the form of government subsidies. It sounds like corporate welfare to me.The President said:

When big oil companies are making more money than ever before, we’re still giving them $4 billion of your tax dollars in subsidies every year. Your member of Congress should be fighting for you. Not for big financial firms. Not for big oil companies.

In the next few weeks, I expect Congress to vote on ending these subsidies. And when they do, we’re going to put every single Member of Congress on record: They can either stand up for oil companies, or they can stand up for the American people.

Send your representative an email. Give them a call. Tell them to stand with you.

The President and Congress have zero control over the price of gasoline. The price is not a political issue, and politicians know that, and should relay the message to their constituents. The President and Congress have 100% control over $4B in taxpayers money going to the oil companies. Speaker John Boehnor will never let this bill reach the floor of the House. In my opinion, that’s stealing taxpayer money - and an impeachable offense if a repeal bill doesn’t reach the floor of the House.

A Republican state Senator in Wisconsin has introduced legislation that would deem being a single parent, as a contributing factor, in child abuse and neglect cases. In the text of Senator Glen Grothman’s Senate Bill 507, it says:

Promote statewide educational and public awareness campaigns and materials, for the purpose of developing public awareness, of the problems, of child abuse and neglect. In promoting those campaigns and materials, the board shall emphasize nonmarital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.

In an interview with Fox News Alan Colmes, the Senator said that our “culture encourages a single motherhood lifestyle.” He went further to state that “government creates a situation in which it is almost preferred.” Not satisfied to just leave it at that, Grothman decided to display his stupidity even more. The 56 year old legislator said “people are not so dumb that it’s surprising when they get pregnant. I think people are trained to say that ‘this is a surprise to me,’ because there’s still enough of a stigma that they’re supposed to say this.”This same genius said that “Recent studies have confirmed that any academic benefits of government funded preschool disappear by the fourth grade.” He wanted “don’t ask, don’t tell” to be the law for all public schools, because he thinks that if a young mind learns about homosexuality, that the mere suggestion could lead them to a gay life. If that was the case - every little kid that was bullied or teased, and called a fag or homo, would be gay today.

Are you gay Senator Grothman?

Ben & Jerry’s Honors Same Sex Marriage With Apple-y Ever After Flavor

Ben & Jerry’s, the famed Vermont ice-cream maker, re-named an apple pie flavored ice cream, Apple-y Ever After, in the UK.. As the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, started public consultation on a bill that would legalize gay marriage - Ben & Jerry’s felt it was important to voice their corporate support.This small story is significant to me for any number of reasons. Aside from the fact that I used to live in the UK, I think it’s terrifically ballsy that any company would express their support for same-sex marriage in such a public way. I also think it’s brilliant that a Conservative government is authoring the legislation. This is a politically sensitive issue in the UK, just as it is here. The Tory party of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, has never been known for their compassionate beneficence toward the British people, though it seems that David Cameron is taking the right steps to change that perception.The GOP could learn a lot from David Cameron. American corporations could learn from Ben & Jerry’s.